


Little Detail

by LordofLezzies



Series: How Derek Found Out [18]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-03 17:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordofLezzies/pseuds/LordofLezzies
Summary: While visiting an old friend Derek discovers something he never expected





	Little Detail

He hadn't seen his ex-wife in over four years and though he hadn't given it much thought, he didn't think that the next time he saw her she would be running around on the beach with a toddler chasing after her, squealing "Addie, Addie, Addie" excitedly. He watched from his friend's window as the toddler continued chasing after the redhead. Finally the little boy caught up with the woman and screeched "Pick up, pick up," and Derek watched as his ex-wife picked the little guy up and placed kisses all over his little cheeks causing him to giggle in delight, and then the pair saw someone else and the little boy demanded to be put down and he started to run to another woman, screaming "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" as he went. It took a moment for him to see the woman, but when she finally came into view he saw Meredith standing there holding the little boy and kissing him just as Addison had, before putting him back down and kissing the redhead. If seeing Addison running around with an excited toddler had been a surprise he didn't know what this was. It was unbelievable; he actually couldn't believe it.

It took him a few minutes to regain his composure as he watched his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend lock lips in front of a small child who appeared to be theirs on the the beach, but once he did, he wanted to reveal himself, and see the two women who had once meant a great deal to him, and to an extent still did. He watched them slide down to sit in the sand, leaning over the little boy who sat between them to kiss once again. They continued to kiss much to the boy's displeasure and when they finally pulled apart the attention he was so anxious to get was focused on his approach rather than on the little guy.

"You friend with my Mommy, my Addie?" The little boy asked as Derek approached the happy family on the beach. He kneeled down a few feet in front of the boy so that they were eye to eye.

"I used to work with your Mommy and Addie," He said softly, smiling at the boy who returned the gesture before holding out his little hand and telling Derek that his name was Chris. "I'm Derek," He said.

"Really?" Chris asked, "That's my middle name," He added excitedly.

"That's cool buddy," Derek said, continuing to smile at the little guy, before looking at the women next to him. "Do you and Addie mind if I talk to your Mommy privately?" He asked. Addison shot Meredith a questioning glance before the blonde nodded letting her know that it was okay.

"Why don't you take Chris inside and get him cleaned up," Meredith suggested and Addison nodded before lifting the little boy up and carrying him inside. Meredith and Derek sat there in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a while before Derek decided to speak.

"He's adorable." Meredith couldn't help but chuckle at the statement.

"Same old Derek," She whispered. Things grew silent again, but this time it was Meredith that broke it. "Of course he's adorable, he's your son, don't you try and inflate your ego for me Derek Shepherd."

"Is that why you left?" Derek asked. Meredith shook her head in response.

"I left because I was tired of our on and off, hot and cold relationship, I couldn't handle it anymore, we were like that Katy Perry song," She added with a chuckle which Derek quickly mimicked. They sat next to one another in the sand in silence until Meredith spoke again. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until I had been here for a few weeks, and I was scared," Derek made to interrupt, but Meredith stopped him. "I didn't want you to feel obligated to take care of us, I was scared, but I knew I could do it. And Addison, I know that must be strange for you, but, I didn't even know she was in LA until Izzie said something about it and I didn't give it a second thought, I mean LA is a big city, but when there was an abnormality on the ultrasound I panicked and..." Meredith grew silent withdrawing into the memory of that day.

"Can I help you?" The young man at the desk asked.

"I need to see Addison Montgomery," I said without a second thought once I'd found the office.

"She's with a patient right now, do you have an appointment?" The man asked and I shook my head. He looked to be at a loss for what to say and I said the first thing that came to mind.

"We used to work together in Seattle, could I wait here until she's finished?" He nodded and I sat down waiting for Addison to be done with her patient and when she appeared our eyes locked almost immediately.

"Meredith?" She questioned, and I nodded. "Is everything alright?" I shook my head sadly and she came over to me and took my hand helping me up. I hadn't looked at the ultrasound myself, I was terrified of what might be wrong, or seeing something that wasn't there and I had only looked after being reassured that my little guy was alright and after hearing that something might be wrong I refused to look for myself. I didn't have to tell her that it was Derek's she already knew. "Is this why you left?" I shook my head again and she didn't continue to prod. Once we were alone I completely fell apart in her arms.

"Something is wrong with him Addison, I can't, I can't do this," I sobbed as she wrapped her arm around me and whispered for me to breathe. Addison had asked for the file that I forgot I was holding and I handed it over willingly. I watched as she flipped through the file with interest.

"I'd like to see for myself," She'd said and I nodded. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the gel is cold," She said with a smile which I returned when she made to do an ultrasound of her own. My eyes squeezed shut the moment I felt the gel. "Do you always close your eyes?" I nodded furiously and she had just told me that she understood before going to work. "Oh," She mumbled.

"Oh god how bad is it?" I cried.

"Breathe Meredith," She whispered and I stopped panicking for a moment to inhale deeply. "They just told you there was an abnormality?" I nodded furiously trying to keep breathing as she had instructed. "Whatever idiot did this should have some sensitivity training, Karev has a better bedside manner." I couldn't help but smile at her remark. "It's not just about what you say to a patient, but how you say it," I nodded as she continued feeling slightly reassured. "There is an abnormality Meredith, but it is something that I can fix."

"Why should I believe you?" I asked.

"You stole my husband and you broke up with him and you're having his baby, if he's not perfect someone will think I did it on purpose." I chuckled at that, and told her that I trusted her.

"And Addison told me not to worry about it, she'd take care of it, because if he was anything less than perfect, people would think that she'd done something to him on purpose," She finished with a small smile which Derek returned.

"So have you and Addison been together since?" He asked and she shook her head.

"She did the surgery and her schedule is more flexible than mine so when I went back to work he stayed with her, as soon as he could walk he started chasing after her and Addie was his first word," She said with a small smile remembering the first time she'd seen her little boy waddle around the living room floor. "When he was six months old we realized it was just easier for us to stay with her."

"You look exhausted Meredith," Addison said that night when I came to pick Christopher up. I just nodded in response. "He's asleep, come sit with me," She'd said, and I sat down on the couch with her and she let me curl into her lap and I fell asleep and didn't wake up until early the next morning. I found Addison stroking my hair and smiling down at me when I opened my eyes. "He's still asleep Mer," She paused for a moment thinking about something and whether or not she wanted to suggest it. "You know your apartment and my house are about the same distance away from the hospital, and I have extra bedrooms. You wouldn't have to take such crazy shifts at work and you wouldn't have to drop him off and pick him up. Move in with me?" She asked and I could only nod in agreement.

"Addison already had a room setup for him and there was a bed in there too and I just stayed there with him. We were just roommates, things didn't get serious until a few months later."

Addie and I were snuggled up together in her bed watching a movie while the little guy slept. I usually slept in the other room, but Addison and I were comfy together and Chris was sound asleep and I didn't want to disturb him. She had her arms around me and I had wrapped my arms around her. "This is nice," I whispered as our eyes locked. I didn't remember leaning in to kiss her but the moment our lips met was perfect.

"What are we doing Meredith?" Addison whispered as we pulled apart. She had rolled out of my embrace and she was staring at the ceiling. I rolled on top of her and looked into scared gray eyes.

"We can't keep denying it Addie. I want you."

"Why? Why now?" She choked out.

"Because our son is asleep," I began to say but she cut me off.

"Your son, he's not mine, he's yours." Tears were slipping down her cheeks and I reached out to brush them away, whispering for her to stop crying as I did so.

"He's ours Addie," I whispered. "He absolutely adores you, he loves you."

"You can't, you can't say that," She sobbed. Naomi had told me that Addison couldn't have children, not because she was one to break her friend's confidences, but as a threat. Addison loved Christopher and her friend was worried that I'd take him away and that it would break Addison's heart.

"Have you seen him Addie?" I asked softly. "He's 15 months old and he walks like a little drunk, but he tumbles all over to get to you, you're his whole world Addie, he loves you, and I love you."

"You don't love me you love what I do for you!" I couldn't tell Addison not to cry anymore as I felt a tear slide down my cheek at her words.

"You have done so much for me and Chris. I was so scared when I found out that I was pregnant, and I had just come to terms with the fact that I was going to have a baby on my own when I found out something was wrong, and you, you fixed it, you made it all better Addie, and I can't thank you enough for that. You took him when I went back to work, and I know if I have to stay late you'll pick him up from daycare and I know he's safe with you. You don't have to do all that you do for us, but you do and I appreciate everything that you do for us, and you don't do it because you think it's the right thing to do, you do it because it's who you are. You are an incredible person Addison and that is why I love you. That little boy that's sleeping in the next bedroom, we named him together, he is just as much yours as he is mine." I finished and there were tears in her eyes as she pulled me into a kiss and the rest was history.

"Mark said that I should tell you after he found out about Sloan, he told me that you deserved to know that you had a son, but he knew it wasn't his place to tell you himself. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how to." Derek nodded in understanding before they fell back into silence.

"I want to get to know him," Derek began, "I know that you and Addison have raised him and he's hers too, but I'd like to be a part of his life, even if that means moving here." Meredith could do nothing but smile at that.

"He's a really good boy Derek, he's sweet, even though he's 4, he still likes to be picked up, he likes kisses, but he has 2 Mommies so if you want to kiss him, shave or he'll tell you you're itchy, his birthday is March 7th, and it will take some time for him to warm up to you. Addie and I have talked about this, if you're serious about this, I'd be happy to let you get to know him, but ultimately it comes down to what Addison is comfortable with." Derek nodded at the blonde's terms.

"I don't want to take him away from you Meredith, I just watched him chase Addison around, and he looked so happy, I wouldn't want to take that away from him." Meredith nodded, and as she and Derek sat in the sand together she knew that her life was going to change once again, she just hoped that allowing Derek to be apart of their son's life was going to turn out as well as every other big change in her life had.


End file.
